(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis received the heads and other senior officials of the departments of the Roman Curia on Monday, in their traditional exchange of Christmas greetings. In remarks prepared for the occasion and delivered Monday morning, the Holy Father focused on the need for those who serve in the curia – especially those in positions of power and authority – to remember and cultivate an attitude and a spirit of service.

“Sometimes,” said Pope Francis, “[Officials of the Curia] feel themselves ‘lords of the manor’ [It. padroni] – superior to everyone and everything,” forgetting that the spirit, which should animate them in their lives of service to the universal Church, is one of humility and generosity, especially in view of the fact that none of us will live forever on this earth.

This “disease” of feeling “immortal” or “essential” – irreplaceable – was one of fifteen maladies, which Pope Francis identified during the course of his address: from a tendency to prefer Martha’s portion over Mary’s, to over-planning (and micromanaging), to wearing being a perpetual downer and wearing a “funeral face” all the day long.

“These and other maladies and temptations,” said Pope Francis, “are a danger for every Christian and for any administrative organization, community, congregation, parish, ecclesial movement, etc., and can strike at both the individual and the corporate level.”

Pope Francis listed 15 "ailments" of the Vatican Curia during his annual Christmas greetings to the cardinals, bishops and priests who run the central administration of the 1.2-billion strong Catholic Church. Here's the list.

Pope Francis to Vatican employees: Christmas a time to heal2014-12-22 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) To care for their families, their spiritual and personal lives, their work, and to care for others: that’s what Pope Francis urged Vatican employees in Christmas greetings Monday.

In an audience in the Paul VI hall inside the Vatican, Pope Francis said he did not wish to let his second Christmas in Rome pass by without meeting the people who work in the curia: “without meeting the people who work without being seen and who ironically call themselves ‘the unknown,’ the ‘invisible:’ the gardeners, the cleaners, the ushers, the office heads, the lift operators, the minute takers.”

Having just come from offering Christmas wishes to the heads of the curia offices, Pope Francis invited the Vatican’s other employees to “meditate” on his earlier discourse and to make a “fruitful examination of conscience in preparation for Holy Christmas and the New Year.”

He thanked the lay and religious for their service, particularly Italians, who make up the majority of Vatican employees. He also thanked the many employees from other nations who work “generously in the curia, far from their own countries and their families,” and thus represent the Church’s “Catholicity.”

Citing St. Paul, Pope Francis alluded to the Body of Christ, which needs all of its various parts to make a functioning whole, and where “each member cares for the other.”

“Care,” or “healing,” in fact, were the words Pope Francis chose as the main themes of his encounter with Vatican employees, reminding them of the need to:

Care for their spiritual life: the “backbone of all that we do and all that we are;”

ROME – Pope Francis delivered a blistering criticism of the headquarters over which he presides on Monday, ticking off a catalogue of “spiritual diseases” to which he believes Vatican officials are susceptible, such as careerism, arrogance, and gossip, calling it all the “pathology of power.”

His annual Christmas speech to the Roman Curia, the Vatican’s central administrative bureaucracy, played around the world as a scathing indictment. To insiders, it threw a key question into sharp focus: Is Francis in danger of alienating the very people he will need, sooner or later, to actually get anything done?

“I have to say, I didn’t feel great walking out of that room today,” one senior Vatican official said, who had been in the Vatican’s Sala Clementina for the speech and who spoke on the condition he not be identified.

“I understand that the pope wants us to live up to our ideals, but you wonder sometimes if he has anything positive to say about us at all,” the official said, who’s been in Vatican service for more than two decades.

For the record, this was an official who describes himself as an “enthusiast” over the direction being set by Pope Francis.

The body language on Monday among the cardinals and archbishops who make up the Vatican’s power structure suggest that reaction wasn’t isolated. There were few smiles as the pope spoke and only mild applause; since Francis delivered the address in Italian, it wasn’t because his audience didn’t understand.

Sent to the world's English-speaking media by Father Thomas Rosica, CSB, English-language assistant to Father Federico Lombardi, SJ, the papal spokesperson:

This morning in the Clementine Hall the Holy Father held his annual meeting with the Roman Curia to exchange Christmas greetings with the members of its component dicasteries, councils, offices, tribunals and commissions. It is good to think of the Roman Curia as a small model of the Church, that is, a body that seeks, seriously and on a daily basis, to be more alive, healthier, more harmonious and more united in itself and with Christ.

The Curia is always required to better itself and to grow in communion, sanctity and wisdom to fully accomplish its mission. However, like any body, it is exposed to sickness, malfunction and infirmity. I would like to mention some of these illnesses that we encounter most frequently in our life in the Curia. They are illnesses and temptations that weaken our service to the Lord, continued the Pontiff, who after inviting all those present to an examination of conscience to prepare themselves for Christmas, listed the most common Curial ailments:

The first is the sickness of considering oneself 'immortal', 'immune' or 'indispensable,' neglecting the necessary and habitual controls. A Curia that is not self-critical, that does not stay up-to-date, that does not seek to better itself, is an ailing body. It is the sickness of the rich fool who thinks he will live for all eternity, and of those who transform themselves into masters and believe themselves superior to others, rather than at their service.

At 10:30 this morning, Pope Francis received in audience the Cardinals and Superiors of the Roman Curia for the presentation of Christmas greetings.

After the greeting of the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the Pope gave the Roman Curia the address ZENIT translates below.* * *“Thou art above the Cherubim, Thou who hast changed the miserablecondition of the world when Thou made Thyself like us” (Saint Athanasius).

Dear Brothers,

At the end of Advent we meet for the traditional greetings. In a few days we will have the joy of celebrating the Lord’s birth; the event of God who makes himself man to save men; the manifestation of the love of God who does not limit himself to give us something or to send us some message or some messengers, but gives himself to us; the mystery of God that takes our human condition and our sins on himself to reveal his divine life to us, his immense grace and his gratuitous forgiveness. It is the meeting with God who is born in the poverty of the cave of Bethlehem to teach us the power of humility. In fact, Christmas is also the feast of light that was not received by the “Chosen People” but by the “poor and simple people,” who awaited the Lord’s salvation.

First of all, I would like to wish you all – collaborators, brothers and sisters, papal representatives scattered throughout the world – and all your dear ones, a Holy Christmas and a happy New Year. I want to thank you cordially for your daily commitment at the service of the Holy See, of the Catholic Church, of the particular Churches and of the Successor of Peter.

We being persons and not numbers or just denominations, I remember in a special way those that, during this year, finished their service having reached the age limit or having taken on other roles or because they were called to the House of the Father. To all of them also, and to their families, go my thoughts and gratitude.

Together with you I wish to elevate to the Lord a heartfelt and profound gratitude for the year we are leaving behind, for the events lived and for all the good that He willed generously to fulfil through the service of the Holy See, asking Him humbly for forgiveness for the faults committed “in thoughts, words, deeds and omissions.”

And, in fact, beginning from this request for forgiveness, I would like our meeting and the reflections that I will share with you to become, for us all, a support and stimulus to a true examination of conscience to prepare our hearts for Holy Christmas

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis listed 15 "ailments" of the Vatican Curia during his annual Christmas greetings to the cardinals, bishops and priests who run the central administration of the 1.2-billion strong Catholic Church. Here's the list.

2) Working too hard. "Rest for those who have done their work is necessary, good and should be taken seriously."

3) Becoming spiritually and mentally hardened. "It's dangerous to lose that human sensibility that lets you cry with those who are crying, and celebrate those who are joyful."

4) Planning too much. "Preparing things well is necessary, but don't fall into the temptation of trying to close or direct the freedom of the Holy Spirit, which is bigger and more generous than any human plan."

5) Working without coordination, like an orchestra that produces noise. "When the foot tells the hand, 'I don't need you' or the hand tells the head 'I'm in charge.'"

5. The sickness of bad coordination: when the members lose communion among themselves and the body loses its harmonious functioning and its temperance becoming an orchestra that produces noise because its members do not collaborate and do not live the spirit of communion and of team. When the foot says to the arm: ”I have no need of you,” or the hand to the head: “I command,” thus causing harm and scandal.

It was interesting to watch the meeting. Here's the YouTube video of the Christmas greetings (in Italian)...

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has written a Christmas letter to the Christians of the Middle East to express his closeness to them at a time of “afflictions and tribulations” due to “the continuing hostilities in the region, but especially because of the work of a newer and disturbing terrorist organization.”

Though the Pope does not refer to the organization by name, Islamic State militants in recent months have forced hundreds of thousands of Christians, Yazidis and other minorities from their homes and villages in Iraq.

5. The sickness of bad coordination: when the members lose communion among themselves and the body loses its harmonious functioning and its temperance becoming an orchestra that produces noise because its members do not collaborate and do not live the spirit of communion and of team. When the foot says to the arm: ”I have no need of you,” or the hand to the head: “I command,” thus causing harm and scandal.

It was interesting to watch the meeting. Here's the YouTube video of the Christmas greetings (in Italian)...

Pope Francis will begin his second Christmas celebration as supreme pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church Wednesday evening. He will celebrate his second Christmas Eve Mass at 9:30 p.m. CET (3:30 p.m. EST, 2:30 p.m. CST, 12:30 p.m. PST) at St. Peter’s Basilica, where thousands of pilgrims are expected to attend.

Here is the homily Pope Francis gave tonight at Christmas Eve Mass celebrated in St. Peter's Square.* * *“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined” (Is 9:1). “An angel of the Lord appeared to [the shepherds] and the glory of the Lord shone around them” (Lk 2:9). This is how the liturgy of this holy Christmas night presents to us the birth of the Saviour: as the light which pierces and dispels the deepest darkness. The presence of the Lord in the midst of his people cancels the sorrow of defeat and the misery of slavery, and ushers in joy and happiness.

Pope to refugees in Kurdistan: “you are like Jesus tonight”2014-12-24 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis this evening telephoned refugees sheltered in Kurdistan to express his closeness to them on Christmas night.

The telephone call to Father Benoca, who heads the Christian community in the Ankawa Refugee Center near Erbil, the capital city of Iraqi Kurdistan, was broadcast live by an Italian Catholic TV station.

Thousands of persecuted Christians have sought refuge in the camp following the invasion of Islamic State militants of Mosul.

Over the telephone line, the Pope told refugees that he is “close to them with all of his heart” and assured him he praying for them.

“You are like Jesus on the night of his birth when he had been forced to flee. You are like Jesus in this situation, and that means we are praying even harder for you”.

(Vatican Radio) One of the most memorable moments of the past year was Pope Francis’ historic visit to Korea. On Wednesday, the Holy Father recalled his journey in a video-message addressed to all Koreans for Christmas:

Below, please find the translation of the Pope's Christmas message to Korea:

Dear Korean brothers and sisters,

With great pleasure I send you best wishes for the Holy Nativity, recalling with joy and gratitude the Voyage I took to your country this past August. The great celebration in honour of the Martyrs, the meeting with young people, and also the other moments of the visit remain vividly in my memory.

I pray the Lord that the light, shining on the world from the Baby of Bethlehem, might be always in your hearts, in your families and communities.

(Vatican Radio) Departing from his prepared remarks on Christmas Day, Pope Francis offered a heartfelt plea for “all those children who are killed and ill-treated.” He spoke passionately about the “infants killed in the womb, deprived of that generous love of their parents and then buried in the egoism of a culture that does not love life”; of the children “displaced due to war and persecution, abused and taken advantage of before our very eyes and our complicit silence”; of “infants massacred in bomb attacks” even in the place where the Son of God Himself was born.

Starts at 11:50 AM - Pope Francis gives his traditional Christmas message and the Apostolic Blessing "Urbi et Orbi" to the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square and to those listening to him on radio and television.

(Vatican Radio) By offering to Jesus the gift of his own life, Saint Stephen, the first martyr, honoured the coming of the King of kings – and showed us how to live the fullness of the mystery of Christmas.

That was Pope Francis’ message during the Angelus on the Feast of Saint Stephen. The Holy Father recalled the words of Jesus as He sent his disciples on mission: “You will be hated because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved.” These words, the Pope said, do not take away from the joy of Christmas, “but strip it of the false, saccharine sweetness that does not belong to it. It makes us understand that in the trials accepted on account of the faith, violence is overcome by love, death by life.” If we are not all called to martyrdom, as Stephen was, nonetheless, the Pope said, “every Christian is called in every circumstance to live a life that is coherent with the faith he or she professes.”

Pope Francis acknowledged that following the Gospel is a very demanding path. But, he said, those who follow it “with fidelity and courage” will receive the gift promised by the Lord to men and women of will – the promise announced by the angels to the shepherds: “on earth, peace to those on whom His favour rests.”

Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, sent a Christmas video message to Christians in Israel and the Middle East.

The Christmas holiday, he said, "is a special opportunity to spend time with loved ones" as well as a time to remember those less fortunate. Netanyahu remembered in particular Christians across the Middle East who are suffering.

"They experience violence, persecution and fear," he said. "This has become the daily staple of Christian communities throughout the Middle East. Not so in here in Israel, the one exception."

The prime minister went on to note that religious freedom in Israel is a sacred principle and that Christians there "enjoy the full blessings of freedom and democracy, their equal rights enshrined in Israeli law."

Concluding his message, Netanyahu called on both Christians and Jews to remember the common heritage and values that unite them, especially "in the face of extremism and hatred."

Pope to meet large families on feast of the Holy Family2014-12-27 Vatican Radio

Pope Francis will mark the feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth on Sunday meeting some 7000 people belonging to large families of Italy. Before his midday ‘Angelus’ prayer from his studio window overlooking St. Peter’s Square, he will meet the group in Vatican’s audience hall. The meeting with the Pope is being organized by Italy’s National Association of Large Families (ANFN), which is is marking its 10th anniversary with a national assembly on the theme, “The Family, Our Goal”, Dec. 26-28. The Italian Association of Large Families is a member of the European Large Families Confederation (ELFAC), which was constituted in 2004 and represents more than 50 million European citizens making up nearly 9 million large families. Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, the president of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for the Family, will celebrate a Mass for the families in the audience hall, before the meeting with the Pope.

The feast of the Holy Family is celebrated in the Catholic Church on the Sunday between Christmas and New Year, or on Dec. 30. This year the feast falls on Dec. 28,